Fly Away
by daydreaming.dauntless
Summary: Audria wakes up at the hospital in the school with no idea how she got there. Worse, is the trauma she's endured and the resulting fear of Skitters...and Ben, as well. Ben/OC
1. Prologue: Lifted by An Angel

**A/N: This is a rewritten version of the story Fly Away. I will be rewriting chapters as time permits, so as you go through, you'll be able to tell the difference between the two. It should be done within the next week or two, and then will segue right into the sequl to this, which is posted as 'Holy Ground'.**

The pain was everywhere, unbelievable and undeniable and unbearable all at once. Could I go on any longer? Could I force my feet to keep moving and my brain to follow suit?

It was beginning to become doubtful. The sharp feelings shot through my leg every time my foot hit the ground, and the exhaustion was seeping into every single part of me. I couldn't stay alert, I couldn't hear or see or anything to save my life.

And to literally save my life, I meant. If I didn't keep going, if I didn't push on, they would kill me like they killed her.

It was brutal, I could remember that much. Her screams were loud enough to echo through the building and I stayed in hiding until I couldn't take it anymore. And then I ran.

When the shot hit me, I didn't stop. It didn't even faze me with the adrenaline that was pumping through my veins. Like some sort of super human, I continued running, sprinting, dashing until I could get away from it all.

And now? How far had I come? Only to give up and let the darkness wash over me. I stumbled on, though I knew it was futile, and I hoped beyond hope for my body to die unmarred by those creatures. To die an honorable death, and not have my sense of self butchered and hacked away by a harness. It was all I could ask for in those dark moments between my pressing on and my failure.

And by failure, I meant my legs giving out as soon as I could hear people. Actual people, would you believe it? It sounded close enough to heaven for me and I continued on toward it, falling to the ground when I seemed close enough to paradise.

The last thing I remembered was being lifted up in my dazed state. I didn't see a face, no. Of course an angel couldn't be seen by a human, though I was just a facsimile of a human by then.

I could just feel myself being carried, and it seemed like I was at home for the first time in so long. So I succumbed to the blackness and lost consciousness all too willingly.


	2. Chapter One: Independence and Beginnings

I stared up at the bright lights in confusion, white spots appearing in the corners of my vision and obscuring all else but the ignition up above. My head was pounding in the background, a dull ache spread through my limbs, and I couldn't, for the life of me, understand where I was.

I fumbled to get up, my hands grasping at the edge of whatever it was I was laid out on, and a sharp yelp filled the air as pain shot through my leg. Whatever had happened, I couldn't move my leg an inch, and I couldn't begin to think about getting up. Biting my tongue through the pain, tears stung my eyes as I struggled to sit up.

"How are you feeling?" It was a woman, the voice coming from behind me, and the question seemed endlessly ridiculous. Could she not see my feeble attempts at righting myself. As she came into view, though, I could see the worry in her eyes.

"Not good," I gasped out, shocked at the pain even speaking caused. What had happened to me to make every single millimeter of my body set on this hot, burning fire?

She reached around for a small white box and peered inside hopefully as she opened it, revealing two small white pills. She handed them over to me, my outstretched hands desperate for any kind of relief.

I took a second to look at her as she handed over a glass of water as well, and I gulped it down greedily. Clean, fresh water. How unusual.

She was pretty, with soft, gentle brown eyes to match her chocolate waves and an exceedingly kind smile, making her look trustworthy. How was I to know? I hadn't exactly been the greatest judge of character as of late.

Throwing her a cautiously hopeful look, though I knew suspicion still guarded my eyes, I asked, "Where am I?"

She bit her lip, gazing down at my leg, which I could see was covered in brittle-looking bandages. "Outside of Boston, in an old high school," she replied, still hovering over me. "May I?" She gestured toward my leg, asking permission, though she'd already done some work by the looks of it.

I nodded slowly, my stare placed down at my wound as she carefully unwrapped the dressing and began cleaning it out, pouring alcohol right onto the cut. After letting out a little whimper, I managed to force out, "How did I get here?"

Her eyes widened, her fingers still for a moment. "Don't you remember?" She asked, her shoulders sagging a little bit. "You collapsed in front of the school."

I shook my head, the gears turning as I tried to recall what had happened to me recently…I could remember, up until…well, I certainly had a vivid recollection of getting hurt, but not much after. "I can't remember what happened after I got hurt, or how I traveled here."

She nodded calmly, returning to the injury. She prodded at it softly, causing me to wince at every touch, and she smiled at me apologetically. "Partial memory loss and confusion can sometimes occur without correct nutrition. Of course, if it was a traumatic experience, you could be repressing it…" She mused, getting lost in thought for a moment. "How long has it been since you've eaten?"

I thought about it, thought back to when I wasn't so clearly alone. "Maybe a week? A week and a half?"

She nodded, understanding flitting across her features. "As long as you don't become dehydrated, you can go extended amounts of time without food. I'm Dr. Anne Glass, by the way." She cleaned off her hands after wrapping up my leg again, and reached her hand out to me.

I shook it cautiously, mumbling, "Audria Myland." Now that the pain relievers were starting to take effect, and she wasn't poking around my wound anymore, I was starting to think more clearly. Without the pain in the forefront of my mind, I could contemplate more pressing matters.

"How many are left?" I whispered, terrified of what the answer might be. How long had I been out? How long had it been since I'd seen other humans?

"Humans?" She asked, surprise lighting her eyes, and then the reality settling in to darken them once more. "It's hard to say. Most of the population was wiped out," she replied softly. "There are three hundred of us here. We call ourselves the Second Massachusetts."

Three hundred? Was that all they'd made contact with? There were millions of aliens invading our home and only three hundred humans to fight back. If that didn't signify the end of our struggle, I didn't know what did. Perhaps when we were all dead and lying cold on a battlefield somewhere.

Anne must have heard my sharp intake of breath, because she continued on in that same soft and careful voice, "I know it might be overwhelming for you at first. Hal Mason, one of our scouts, can tell you more once you feel up to it. Speaking of Hal…" She glanced near the doorway of what I now understood was some sort of hospital.

There was an older teenager leaning against the frame of the door, staring at us warily. His lips curved up just slightly when he saw me, but the small smile was gone in a matter of seconds. "Ben's still in pain. It's like a headache or something, but I don't know how to stop it."

Anne was silent for a moment, pondering what the boy had said, and then spoke slowly, "Send him in here. I'm not sure pain medication will help him, but it's worth a try, I suppose." She motioned toward me, "I used up some of my last meds on her, but she could always use some company."

Hal nodded quickly, and then continued on in a rushed voice, "We need to make a plan to leave, too. After Weaver came back…and the news about my dad…I don't think…" He paused for a moment, seeming to put his thoughts in order. "We need to get away from the school. They know where we are."

The older woman seemed ready to protest this, but closed her mouth after a second, and I could see tears welling up in her eyes. She closed them for a second, and then said in a steady voice, "Audria won't be able to move for at least another day or two. If someone's willing to carry her…"

Before Anne could continue, I shot her a dark look, shifting my leg a bit as if to prove a point. "I'm capable of moving myself, thank you," I said, with some difficulty.

She looked at me sympathetically. "A few days and you'll be fine to walk by yourself, yes, but…" She turned to Hal again, and spoke to him, "Someone will have to at least support some of her weight until then."

I made an annoyed sound at the back of my throat, never having been one for charity. If I couldn't do it myself, then it wasn't meant to be done. I looked back at Hal for his reaction to see that he was smirking. He shook his head at me, and I snapped, "What?"

He bit his lip, a small smile once again gracing his lips, and said, "You're independent, that's a good thing." I grinned in triumph until he continued, "But…it's been hard for all of us, at least let me help you just this once."

I shook my head stubbornly. "I've had to fight for myself by myself and that's not going to change. I'm not chancing my survival by letting someone help me. You should leave without me as a burden."

"Right," he scoffed, turning to exit the clinic. "My father just got on board with the aliens, and he wanted me to let him go on his own too. I can't let that happen to someone again, so you need to let me help you."

I sighed noisily, though I was touched by the departure of his father. If he'd gone through something hard, maybe he could understand that I didn't need the help. Instead of voicing this opinion, I just said shortly, "Fine."

He grinned at my snappish response and turned to Anne once more. "Should I send Ben in?"

"Yes, I suppose," Anne sighed, clearly affected by the mention of Hal's father. "I have a few things to do if we're leaving soon, but just tell him to take a seat and I'll be back in a few minutes."

Hal nodded his consent at this, and then turned to look at me more seriously than he had before, contemplating something before he said, in a pleading voice that I could tell was unusual for him, "Audria?"

I stared him right in the eye and waited for him to continue on with whatever it was he needed to say.

"Give Ben a chance."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion at this. Toward strangers, I'd like to think I'd never been judgmental, except perhaps after this invasion began. But a teenager? I wouldn't expect anything dangerous from him. "Why would I?" I asked, bewildered.

Hal seemed hesitant as he said, "He's just…" He struggled for the right word, shaking his head slightly, finally settling on, "Different."

I shot Anne a questioning look at this, but she just gave me a small, but warm smile and said, "You'll see."

The two people walked out the doors of makeshift hospital leaving me to wonder what in the world they could've meant by their words.


	3. Razorback

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything Falling Skies, aside from the character Audria.**

"When the invasion first happened, I was with my sister, Mae. She was just a few years younger than me, only thirteen. All of my family…gone. I never heard from them and my parents, Mae and I watched the Mechs shoot…" I paused for a second, wiping my tears. "We scavenged for whatever food we could find, drank even dirty water. We were both very unhealthy, but we expected that. As long as we were alive…"

Anne took my hand, like my mother used to.

I cleared my throat. "The Skitters were all over our town. Springfield. So we traveled to a new area in Massachusetts every day, just in case. Mae…Mae was taken by the Skitters a few months ago. I got away and I thought I was on my own…"

"You don't have to continue if you don't want to. I understand," Anne said quietly.

I took a shaky breath. "I need to, I think." I let the tears slide down my cheeks for a moment and continued, "Mae was harnessed, I knew. But I still had tiny hope I would get her back. It seemed like a miracle when I did."

Anne's brow furrowed in confusion.

"She came back and she didn't have a harness on, so I thought I would be safe…But she…" I struggled to continue, "She turned on me. Led me into a trap. I just barely got out. I could hear her screams as the Skitters killed her, probably for ruining their plans, though she had done exactly as they said…"

Anne blew out her breath. "That's why you don't trust Ben." She nodded, like it was all clear to her now. "Ben is a good kid. Physically, the harness took its toll on him and affected him in certain ways. Mentally, Ben is as human as you and I. He doesn't indentify with the aliens, doesn't sympathize with them."

I sighed. "While that might be true…I can't get over what has happened. It just doesn't make any difference."

Anne sighed. "Please try. We need to trust each other right now."

I shook my head. "I can't. I won't say anything to him, I won't try to be cruel, but I can't."

"I'm going to tell him your story. So his feelings aren't hurt..."

When I snorted out a laugh, she gave me a stern look. "Ben doesn't have a friend in this world. Before, when the other civilians were here, everyone avoided him. Called him names, even. 'Razor back'. He seems so sad. He's been alone as long as I've known him. He might feel like it was his fault and it wasn't."

"It wasn't my fault either," I said quietly.

Her voice softened, "I know that, too. It's no one's fault. It's just how it is. And we all need t get past it. If the surviving humans can't trust each other, no matter the circumstances, then we have nothing."

"We have nothing to fear but fear itself," I muttered.

"You'd have liked Tom. Hopefully…" She didn't finish her sentence, just trailed off, leaving and open ending. She patted my shoulder and walked out the door, calling behind her, "We'll be leaving soon. Your bag is on the floor over there. Don't get up until I get Hal to help."

We had been walking for a while now. Weaver was in the very front with a few people I didn't know. Anne and Ben were in front of us, probably Ben's idea to give me some space, and I was in the back supported by a very tired Hal. Hal had filled me in on everything he could remember about the Second Massachusetts and the events after the invasion.

In the front, they began to drift farther away from us and when I thought they couldn't hear, I spoke up.

"I'm sorry about what happened back at the school," I stated plainly to Hal.

He looked at me for a moment, his expression unreadable. "It's okay, but I'm not the one you should apologize to. I understand why you feel the way you do, but it can still hurt Ben's feelings. He's not had a friend…"

"I know, I know," I groaned. "You guys make me feel terribly guilty. I didn't mean to…It was just a natural reaction after everything." I threw my arms up in exasperation and both Hal and I stumbled a bit.

Hal laughed a little. "I just mean that…maybe you should put aside your feelings and talk to him."

I swallowed noisily. "I will. Next chance, I will."

"We'll be stopping in a bit…We'll probably find some shelter. It'll give you a chance to talk to him without other people around."

"You're kind of pushy, you know."

He shrugged. "He's my brother. I have to watch out for him." He chuckled. "He'd be embarrassed if he knew I was begging you to talk to him."

I looked away and we continued on in silence. I used to be like that with my sister; now I just felt empty.

A few miles of struggling later, we turned and headed into a dense forest, hoping to find some partially concealed shelter, at least. Luckily, we found a small wood cabin, probably someone's camp.

We set our stuff down in the doorway and Hal quickly ran through the rest of the house, just to be safe.

"We'll need to run watch shifts. Two at a time, if possible. Ben, you and Audria will be together." I caught Hal shooting Ben a look and he nodded slightly.

I didn't say anything; I didn't protest or approve. I kept my face emotionless.

Hal and Anne slept on the two sofas in the living room and Ben and I situated ourselves at the kitchen table.

It was silent at first, and then he began to hum. It was a song I knew well; one I had loved before the attack. So I glanced at him and joined in. He grinned like this was some big victory.

I stopped humming and he abruptly stopped as well, looking at me worriedly.

"I just wanted to say…sorry about the other day. I don't mean to hurt your feelings, I just…" He wasn't saying anything, just staring at me with an intense focus, so I trailed off.

"Did Hal tell you to apologize?"

I gave him a sheepish look.

"Oh." He nodded slightly and gave a sad smile.

"I do feel bad, though." I stated. "I'm not used to being around people yet…" I murmured.

"It's okay," he mumbled, looking down.

"Can we start over?" I asked, unsure of myself. What if…

He nodded and presumably went to reach for my hand or to touch my arm.

I flinched and shrunk away from him.

I didn't know how this was going to work.


	4. Nervous

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Falling Skies. I **_**do **_**own Audria. **

I tentatively reached across the table top and brushed my fingers across the back of Ben's hand, hoping to communicate an apology without words. I couldn't find the words to say how sorry I was. Sorry for not trusting him, sorry for flinching, sorry there wasn't anything I could do to change the way I felt.

He visibly blushed and got up from his chair slowly, muttering, "It's okay," under his breath, so quietly I almost couldn't hear the words.

I could probably use a friend; I'd been alone in this world for the past six months. Ben could be a good friend; I just didn't know if I could. Not with him. It was just too difficult. My memory would get in the way of anything I could feel about him.

We were walking again, up at sunrise. We wouldn't stop until sunset and it was draining all my energy. I needed some new batteries if I was going to be able to keep this up day after day. I laughed at the thought of that, someone needing to replace my batteries and Hal looked at me questioningly.

I shrugged. "I just thought of something funny…"

Hal eyed me for a moment and then shifted uncomfortably, moving his arm from around my shoulder to my waist. He looked like there was something he desperately wanted to say, but didn't want to bring up on his own.

"What is it, Hal?" I asked, relieving him of his discomfort.

His eyes darted around quickly. "I just want to know how it went with Ben."

I looked at him for a second, and then told him everything. He seemed surprised about how I acted. "I didn't think you would reach out to him. I though it would take you more convincing…"

I narrowed my eyes. "What is that supposed to mean? I'm not 'reaching out'. I'm just trying to be…more understanding of him."

"You'll be friends in no time," Hal said, grinning, clearly not understanding my situation. "I got to…uh, talk strategy with Weaver. Will you be okay with Ben for a while?" He looked down.

"Oh my gosh, Hal! You're trying to set us up!"

He shrugged and didn't say anything, just called ahead for Ben.

Ben jogged back to us, nodding toward Hal. His eyes darted quickly from me back to his brother. "What do you need?"

Hal smiled slightly and said, "I need you to help Audi walk for a little bit. She still needs support. I'm going to talk future plans with Captain Weaver." He didn't even notice me glaring at him, he just walked toward the front of our group.

Ben took over in Hal's place, with his arm around my waist. He grinned at me. "If looks could kill…"

At least someone noticed my giving Hal the evil eye! "Your brother is irritating," I said in my defense and sniffed indignantly.

"He can be…pushy," Ben allowed.

"See, someone agrees with me!" I giggled nervously; we were having a normal conversation.

He gave an uneasy chuckle as well and it confirmed what I already knew; this friendship thing was new territory for both of us. It couldn't hurt to try, right?

"Hal means well, it just doesn't always come across like that," Ben explained, shrugging helplessly.

I gave him a small smile. "Well, he's a pain in my butt, though I can't say I'm not grateful. After all, he's helped me a lot."

Ben nodded. "He has that effect on people. Grudging admiration."

I smiled wider and we continued on like that, just chatting easily about the people I'd met in the last three days as we walked on the old worn path. I idly wondered if this was the safest way to travel, on a known trail, but pushed the though away just as soon as it came into my mind.

Hal walked to the back of the group, smirking smugly as he passed me. I stuck my tongue out at him. It was surprisingly easy, this simple teasing. Which was odd, considering how long it had been since I'd been around people and how little I really knew these people.

"Why is he going in the back?" I asked curiously.

"Hal tries to protect us, even though I think he's being overly cautious."

I took a deep breath and brought up the 'forbidden' topic. "It's not overly cautious, Ben. You were taken by them. You're lucky your family got you back."

I never got to hear Ben's answer to that; there was a loud noise in the trees to our right and a scream from one of the fighters in front.


	5. Distraction

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Falling Skies.**

I didn't pay attention to what was happening in front of us, in the front of our group. There was a skitter slinking its way toward Hal, Ben, and I. It swiveled its grotesque head around, looking between the three of us, before settling its focus on Ben.

It began making odd, high pitched noises. It took a few seconds, but Ben's fingers slowly let go of my waist and he faltered forward, under no control of his own.

They were calling him in some weird alien control, I realized. Oh, god. I felt like I was going to throw up.

Hal was watching cautiously, not sure what to do. If we tried anything, something could happen to Ben. I looked across, at Hal, and our eyes locked for a moment. Ben kept walking forward, each step echoing on the ground. _This can't be happening. _He had a blank expression on his face and I desperately wanted him to snap out of it.

I ran through all the possible scenarios in my head. What could we do? If Hal distracted the skitter, that would give me time…But how would Hal know? I looked over at Hal and started waving my arms around wildly, as much as I could without the skitter noticing. He nodded once, sharply and I prayed that he understood what I was trying to communicate.

Ben was only a few steps away from the skitter. In fact, if he reached out…I shuddered. We didn't have any time. Luckily, Hal realized this as well and began shouting wildly and waving his arms around.

The skitter didn't even look our way. I mimed throwing something. Hal picked up a few rocks from where he was standing and threw them at the thing, hoping to hit him somewhere it would make him pay attention.

As soon as the first rock hit the skitter, it turned at Hal, possibly thinking of him as a threat, more important that taking care of Ben.

I took that split second before the skitter would turn around and slid my small knife out of the back pocket of my jeans. Thank God Hal had told me how I should go about killing a skitter. I sprinted forward, closing the distance between me and the creature and poised to pounce. As it turned around, I took the last step and shoved my arm down its throat, stabbing the knife into the skin, knowing I had hit it at just the right spot.

The skitter dropped dead with my arm still inside. I collapsed to the ground, to my knees and started sobbing.


	6. Black and White

"Audria…" Hal said it softly, his voice full of concern. It was so unlike the guy I had gotten to know in the past few days.

I glared at him icily, my eyes loaded with warnings, though the effect was somewhat marred by the tears glistening on my cheeks. I looked away from him, ignoring him as much as I possibly could.

Injuries were minimal in our group. After I had killed the skitter, the rest of them backed off, and went back where they came from. Odd, but it was the least of my worries.

I hadn't spoken a word to anyone since the attack. How could I explain? Ben was angry with me; he kept telling me he wasn't worth it, which just made _me _angry. And Hal was just _so _worried about me and it was getting on my nerves. So I chose not to speak to any of them and carried on in silence.

"Audi," he said gently. My eyes snapped up to his face. "Audi, it's okay now. We're all okay."

I laughed bitterly, not sure where all my animosity was coming from.

Hal sighed and put his arm back around my waist, pulling me forward with much more force than necessary. It's difficult not to talk to someone when they are supporting all your weight.

Every time I tried to speak, I couldn't find the words. They got stuck in my throat, blocked by all my worries and all my anger and all my issues. Everything was much more complicated than it had to be with me. Nothing was black and white; it was all blurred and mixed up. Maybe I could feel something for Ben, but it was fused with what I already felt about the "razor-backs".

"We're stopping up here, okay?" I didn't say anything, so Hal continued. "You can have your own room and no one will bother you." I heard him sigh quietly.

A few minutes later, our group stopped outside a house, bigger than the last one. It was a nice, modern house, which was odd considering it was in the middle of the forest. I pushed away from Hal and hobbled up the cobblestone path to the door on my own. A few of the fighters were already inside, having broken in and checked the area.

I immediately made my way upstairs, holing up in one of the smaller rooms, locking the door. It must've been a girl's room, probably my age, guessing from the furniture. I sat on the edge of the bed, a fluffy queen size, and thought about how much things had changed.

My parents were gone. I was sad about it, but I could no longer cry. I'd done enough of that as it was. My sister was gone. My house, my school, my old life. All gone. And now I was…what, living with a bunch of strangers? Facing aliens on a daily basis? And Ben... What would I do about him? Everything you have is someday gone. I didn't know if I could take any more loss. And the thought of getting close to him, only to have him taken away from me…I shuddered.

There was a soft rap on my door and someone called, "Audria?"

I stayed silent, not even getting up from my seat.

"Audria, its Ben." He paused. "I know you're there and I know you can hear me. I'll be outside here, waiting, when you want to talk." Then there was a soft thump and I could see his shadow, creeping in through the bottom of the door.

I lay back in the bed and stared at the ceiling. There were soft, interwoven patterns on it, in white. And it made me think how everyone's lives were now crossed together, even if they didn't know it, because we were the last of the human race. Then I laughed at myself for thinking such stupid, deep things when no one was around to listen.

Which brought me back to Ben, who was sitting back against the door of the room. It gave me a headache just to think of how complicated things were, and how much more complicated they could get it I let him through my so carefully put up walls. Friendship was supposed to be easy, simple, but it wasn't.

"Ben?" I called softly. I shuffled over to the door and opened it a crack, peering out into the hallway. "Ben?"

His was lying on the ground, snoring quietly. I didn't want to wake him up, he seemed so peaceful. With me, Ben was always careful and you could tell. He was somewhat guarded and always cautious before saying anything, for my benefit. Right then, he seemed unconcerned, and it was nice to see him like that.

And maybe that was why I sat down next to him and gently nudged his shoulder and said his name a few more times.

As he opened his eyes, he turned over to me, smiling smally. "Hey." It seemed very anticlimactic, seeing as I was expecting him to go right into serious conversation, but it seemed fitting, in a way, as well.

"Hey," I repeated, laughing a bit.

We were both silent for a moment, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Just quiet, but I think we were both quiet people and that's why it worked.

Ben sighed. "You were right."

My eyebrows knit in confusion. "About what?"

"Hal looking out for me. It makes sense. Obviously I learned that back there…" He sounded really sad, and for some odd reason, I just wanted to grab his hand and hold on and make sure he knew it would be alright. I restrained myself, feeling absurd even having to think about it.

"You couldn't have known." I said it so quiet, it was almost a whisper.

"What if I could have?" He asked, his eyes searching mine. "What about the radio frequencies? What if I could have heard it and I didn't?"

"Well…" I grasped for the right words. "…that would be a good thing, I suppose, because that would mean their hold over you is less than it has been."

He shook his head. "No, that's not it. They were controlling me…" He flinched back, liking he was remembering how it had happened. "What if they do that again? Or make me hurt someone?"

I didn't know what I could say to make him feel better. In all honestly, I think we were all wondering that. My mind was at war, half-wanting to reach out to him, to take his fear away, and his pain, half-wanting to run, screaming, away from him. So I stayed neutral, and didn't move an inch, not towards or away from him.

"I'm sorry for being angry." He smiled at me, forgetting his previous worries for just a moment. "I would have done the same. So thank you, for being there. I didn't think you would stand up for me like that…"

My eyes narrowed. "Why would you think that?" It came out a bit more venomously than I had intended.

He raised his hands, as if surrendering. "I'm just saying that I know you have your problems with…people like me. And rightfully so. I just didn't think you'd step in for someone you didn't like."

"Do you honestly think it's that black and white?" I said, quieter, astonished. "Liking you or not liking you has nothing to do with it." I shook my head slightly.

He didn't respond, so I continued. "I was afraid. Terrified of you. Imagine it. I'd just barely gotten out alive from the incident with my own sister, who had the same spikes. And then I see you, though you're nice, and I can't help but be petrified. So I'm working at it. But then, I'll lose you, just when I get you."

He frowned. "But you don't have to lose me."

"Ben." I blew out all my breath. "At some point, you lose everything. Everything you have is someday going to be gone. Understand?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't have to be like that though. Be an optimist. Think the best, and it just might happen."

"But it also could not happen and then I'm stuck with that…grief, for the rest of my life. It's like it all weighing down on my shoulders. My mom, my dad, my sister, all of the humans that have died. The weight is crushing and if any more is added, I will break apart _myself_."

So Ben took a deep breath, reached over, and kissed me, just one little kiss.

I heard someone clear their throat behind us and I scrambled apart from Ben, my cheeks turning an alarming shade of red. It was Hal, who was laughing. I squeaked and looked at Ben.

The boy was grinning hugely. GRINNING! Why wasn't he embarrassed? We must've looked awful, the way we were pressed up against each other.

"Told you," Hal said to me, clearly teasing.

I squeaked again and buried my face into my hands, which only made matters worse. Hal burst out laughing even louder and Anne came up the steps and grinned when she saw us.

"Your family is even more embarrassing than mine," I mumbled to Ben.

He shrugged, still smiling, like "what can you do about it?".

I then proceeded to retreat into my room, beyond embarrassed.


	7. Silence

"Audria." His voice was soft and sweet, almost a whisper, but I woke with a start, my eyes flying open. He was standing at the edge of the door, hesitating.

"Hal told me to wake you up," he stated plainly.

"We're going to have breakfast and then continue travelling." It was still a whisper, but it sounded like humming, coming through my ears.

I peered up at his eyes, all lit up for who knows what reason. His dark blonde hair was messy and sticking up in all directions, falling in his face, and he looked exhausted, but cheerful.

"Good morning," I said softly, smiling up at him. That joy must be infectious, I swear, because I felt light-hearted and happy in that moment.

I saw Hal poke his head in from the doorway. "Nah, Ben, you just don't get it. When you wake up your girlfriend, you have to start off with, 'Good morning, beautiful' and then kiss her." Way to ruin the moment, Hal. He grinned wickedly, clearly enjoying teasing us, and continued down the stairs. Clearly, we were both too shy, and too young, really, to ever do that.

I scowled at him and started to sit up. When I looked back at Ben, he was blushing. Finally, an appropriate reaction! I rolled my eyes and got up from the bed, slipping on my boots. I looked back questioningly at him and motioned for him to come over to me. He did, and I shyly gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before wrapping my hand around his. Gosh, I was all over the place; shy and girly one minute, grumpy and miserable the next.

We walked down the stairs like that, holding hands. Much to my dismay, a few of the people sitting on the couches downstairs let out audible "aw"s when they saw us.

We ate our breakfast fast as we could and rushed outside, to get away from the embarrassment that would result in us going inside.

We walked in companionable silence. I was reminded again that we were both quiet people and we were compatible in that way.

"This morning has been…interesting," I said, laughing a little bit, looking at Ben.

He grinned sheepishly. "I don't know why everyone else cares."

"C'mon, we're amusing to them." I paused, thinking about it. "It might just be nice for them to see someone happy for once."

"You're happy, then?"

I eyed him for a moment and said playfully, "You're just fishing for compliments, Ben Mason."

"I won't deny it."

I rolled my eyes at him and stopped walking, looking out into the distance.

"What?" He seemed concerned, like he thought something was wrong.

"Nothing…" I trailed off. "I was just looking at the trees. See them off in the distance? There's beauty every where. Some things never change."

Ben hesitantly wrapped his arms around me. I put my arms around his neck and pulled myself close to him, resting my head on his chest.

That's when I heard that noise, the high pitched one. _Please, not again. _And Ben could tell too, as his grip on me tightened. I looked up at him in panic, but his expression was already blank.


	8. Kiss

"Ben," I called loudly. "Ben, snap out of it. Come on." The panic rose in my voice, higher and higher, as I edged toward hysterics.

I bit my lip and looked around me. I couldn't see them yet, so where were they? I looked back at Ben, who had pulled his arms away from me and was standing, arms straight down against his sides, blankly staring forward.

"Ben," I cried. Tears were starting to fall because I didn't know how to get out of this one. Everyone else was still at the house, which was a while away, and I didn't have my knife. Or a distraction. Or anything, really. My only option was to get my Ben back.

I took a step closer to him, trying to catch his eye, to see some recognition in his face. Nothing. I took a deep breath, leaned back, and slapped my hand against his cheek as hard as I could, leaving a red mark across the side of his face. What else could I do? He didn't even flinch. His expression remained unchanged. I started sobbing.

The noise was getting louder, alarmingly close.

"Ben." I said in a small voice. "Ben, please." I grabbed his hand, squeezed it, but he was unresponsive. I swear, I was losing my mind. This couldn't happen. I could see the skitters off in the distance, just two of them, coming from an opening in the forest. My breathing came faster as I tried to remember how to function properly in the midst of danger. I just couldn't do it.

When the skitters were a mere twenty feet away, I leaned up and gently kissed my lips against his, admitting defeat, tears streaming down my face. A hand closed around my wrist. My eyes widened as I turned around, to Ben, looking at me, with an expression of confusion.

"Ben," I shouted. "Ben Mason, don't you ever do that to me again!" I wrapped my arms around his neck, and soon remembered the imminent danger. "Ben, skitters, now," I managed before tugging him along with me, sprinting at full speed toward the house.

"We need to find something that will stop this," Uncle Scott said, shaking his head. "This can't continue. It's like they have a direct tunnel into his brain, but I don't understand how it works…"

Hal, Anne, Ben, Weaver, and I were all sitting in the living room. After explaining what had happened, the soldiers had gone to protect us from a skitter attack, setting up watch outside, but it had been seven hours and no sign of attack yet.

"There must be some way to snap him out of it when he gets like that," Hal said, looking at Ben worriedly,

I blushed deeply, looking away from Anne and Weaver, who were both watching me. There was a way to snap him out of it, I knew, but it was embarrassing.

"When…" I shook my head and forced the rest of it out, my cheeks getting brighter and brighter red. "When Ben went into their control, I kissed him and he completely came back into reality."

Hal burst out laughing. "Well, aren't you two just the little lovebirds. It's like sleeping beauty or something." Hal could even find something like that funny in a time like this.

"Well, it possibly saved your brother, so I would stop laughing," I said icily. I was in no mood for his teasing, though I appreciated the attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

He shut up right away, I noticed and looked at me apologetically.

Ben squeezed my hand, which just drained all my anger. I looked up and kissed his cheek, watching him turn bright red when I did. He was so sweet.

"We'll decide what do to about Ben tomorrow. Ben, you and Audria go get some sleep. Anne, you too. Hal, come with me," Weaver spoke with such authority, none of us could question it.

When I climbed into bed, Ben waved back at me as I continued down the hallway

I watched him walk down the hallway, to the room him and Hal were staying in. I really did like him, I'd decided.


	9. Warmth

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Falling Skies, just Audria.**

_I watched them take him away, helpless. For some reason, I couldn't even open my mouth to scream and my eyes were just glued to him and his almost lifeless form as he mindlessly walked forward. A feeling of despair was creeping in on my mind as I watched and still couldn't move an inch. And I watched, unable to stop myself, not seeing what was coming, as the Mech's gun shot bullets, straight through his chest._

I screamed, wrenching up in the bed. I choked back sobs as I realized it was just a dream. Only a dream. My mind was reeling, relief taking over as I took in my surroundings.

The door flung open, banging against the wall with the power of it, and revealed a very concerned looking Ben and Hal, clutching a gun.

"What happened?" Hal demanded, after peering around the room, satisfied when he found nothing.

"Nightmare," I muttered, embarrassed to have woken him up. "Nothing."

Ben gave me a sad, knowing smile and whispered something to Hal, followed by the older brother leaving, shutting the door softly behind him.

Ben wordlessly sat on the other side of the bed and I inched closer to him, snuggling against his chest, tears soaking his shirt.

"You didn't go to sleep?" I asked quietly. Ben never wore a shirt to bed, because of the spikes.

He shook his head and pulled me closer to him. "I couldn't sleep."

I looked up at him, just a few tears falling down my cheeks.

He wiped them away with his thumb, looking down, and said, "I kept thinking, 'what if they come while everyone's asleep'? Which wouldn't happen because there's always someone on watch, but…"

"It was still scary," I whispered.

He nodded and was thoughtful for a moment. "What was it about?"

My face scrunched up, the tears falling freely. "They took you and you weren't…you, but I could move, and then…then…" There was a lump in my throat, blocking out all the words, but I forced it through, "They shot," I just didn't want to say it, "and I was watching."

Ben squeezed me tighter, staying silent, letting me cry quietly for a moment.

"It's not going to happen," he said.

I was doubtful. "How do you know?" I pushed him away from me, panic rising up my throat. "How will we ever know? This was a bad idea. I'm so stupid. Such an idiot. How could I think…I can't…It was a mistake. You'll just be taken away from me and I'll lose so much more than I though I would ever have."

I was sitting up on the other side of the bed, as far away from him as possible, looking down at my hands. "I'll just lose you and then what will I do with myself? I'll fall apart. I'll…do something drastic to my own life. Do you know what I mean? Because I couldn't…and now, I can't turn back. I already know what it's like with you. And I've got…nothing left. To live for. If I don't have you and Hal and Anne." I was saying absurd things, crazy things, but I meant them. What would I do when I had nothing left to live for at all? It seemed kind of obvious.

"Audria." He called it softly at first and when I didn't answer, called a bit louder, "Audria, look at me." He reached over to me and gently pulled my chin toward him, our noses almost touching, forcing me to look into his eyes, crumbling all my willpower.

"Audria, nothing's going to happen. But if anything ever does, you can't think like that. If you ever…" He was really upset. "Don't think about taking your own life. You can't ever think about that. Because nothing will ever happen to me."

"I've thought about it before," I admitted. "Before I even met you."

"Well, not anymore, okay? You don't have to. I'll always be here. We'll always have someone with me, or you can just kiss me, I don't care," he laughed lightly at the thought, "but I'll be fine. We'll be fine. You just have to trust me. I'm not leaving you. Not ever. Okay?"

He hugged me close for just a moment, and then pushed away.

"You should get some sleep," he said simply.

"Just stay for a few minutes." It was really dark in the room, and I didn't want to face it.

I fell asleep just like that, with one of his arms around my shoulder.


	10. To Kill

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Falling Skies, obviously.**

We were packed up and ready to go. The only one we were waiting on was Hal, who was scouting ahead. Alone.

Ben chuckled at me as I bit my nails, my foot tapping up and down uncontrollably, but I could tell he was nervous too. Anne, as well. We all sat by the windows, looking out every few minutes.

"Ben, I'm worried. I'm so afraid of anything that might happen…" I peered out the window again, as if to add to the effect.

He sat down next to me and took my hands. "He'll be fine. He'll be perfectly fine."

It was strange how some things changed quickly and others took a long time to change. Ben, for example, and my relationship with him was something that changed so fast, I almost couldn't keep up. Before the invasion, I'd never been in a relationship with anyone, and here I was with him, comfortable as a married couple. And I'd only known him about a week.

"What if something happens to him? What if…" I trailed off, running my hands along Ben's spikes, trying to communicate the horrible though without saying it aloud.

"Nothing's going to happen."

Anne looked over at me, and smiled weakly. "Hal will be fine. Watch, he'll be coming at any moment." She nodded toward the front window, which overlooked the road.

I gasped, as there was a knock on the door. It must've been Hal. Who else would it have been? I jumped up and ran to it, opening it in an instant.

It was Hal, but it wasn't Hal. Something completely different.

"What is it?" I asked, full of worry. "What is it? What happened?"

He looks like he's going to throw up, and his entire face is quick turning a strange, unknown color. "Karen and Ben." It's all he said, but I have a break down in that moment.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I asked it. "Ben?"

"They're going to kill them both. They're going to kill them all." He repeats it over and over again, and it replays in my head. Anne and Ben were standing behind me by now and several fighters.

"They…Karen. Karen told me. The aliens said it through her. They're going to kill her. The harnessed kids, all of them. Even if they don't have their harnesses on." Hal's eyes were wild, uncertain.

The last words I heard were, "And Ben," uttered by Hal. I just closed my eyes and let everything go black because I just wasn't ready to deal with it.


	11. Gone

**Author's Note: So obviously, this is way different than season two, because I can't exactly jump to where we are now. I'm sorry this took so long, but I'm finally getting back to this. Leave a review if you'd like me to continue :)**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Falling Skies, just Audria. (Now doesn't that sound creepy? I own Audria...:/)**

"Audria? Can you hear me?" It was Anne's voice, and I could hardly hear her through the ringing in my ears. "Audria?"

I moved to sit up, but as soon as I lifted my head, a wave of nausea rolled over me. Something bad happened- I knew that much was true. But I couldn't quite remember what. It was something dangerous...something immediate. Or maybe not. My head was so foggy.

"Might not want to move so quickly," Anne said, as her hands grasped my shoulders, pulling me into a sitting position. "How are you feeling?"

I opened my mouth to explain the nausea and the odd feeling of dread I had, but nothing came out. It was like the words were stuck in my throat. So I just shook my head, repeatedly, hoping she got the idea.

"It's okay. It might take a second. You hit your head pretty badly after you fainted."

Fainted? That word brought back some memories, far at the back of my mind...Hal? He came back to the house, I could remember that much. And...

His face. His expression. The horror and the uncontrolled sadness. I could remember that all too well. And the reason...

Was that Ben was going to die. Ben. Going to die. The words rang through the inside of my mind, like a song overplayed on the radio. And that was why I had...

I was on my feet in seconds, ignoring the pounding at the back of my head when I jumped up, and running wildly up the stairs. I could hear Anne calling after me, but I kept running. I needed to find him. I needed to see his face. How long would I have left? Or was he already gone? How soon did they mean this to happen?

Could we hide him?

Could Anne remove the spikes?

How deep was their hold on him?

These questions, and more, made up of a string of nonsense in my head as they all ran together. One thing was clear, though. I needed to find Ben immediately.

I crashed through the first bedroom door, frantically looking around. I could hear Anne's footsteps behind me, as she ran up the stairs after me. Seeing nothing, I continued on down the hall, checking each room as I went.

I got to the last bedroom, but took a deep breath before peering in. No one. Not a single person. Where was everyone? Why were they not milling around the house like usual? Where were Ben and Hall, more importantly?

I felt a hand on my shoulder, gently pressing down. "Audria," it was Anne, her voice soft, and gentle. "Audria. Ben's...Ben's gone."

"What?" I spat out, whipping around to face her.

"He ran. As soon as Hal came back, and you fell, he ran out the door. Everyone's looking for him. But it's been hours. We don't know where he is."

"What?" I repeated, though I heard her clearly the first time. It couldn't be true. Why would he do that? Why would he leave me? He had just told me he never would. And I believed him.

"Ben is gone," Anne repeated.


End file.
